Solved Dual-Boot Partitioning. Windows has active partition.

[Plo124]

Hi Windows 8 users,
I am considering triple-booting with:
-Windows 7 (primary and default operating system)
-Windows 8.1 (wanna use app-tools)
-Ubuntu 13.04 (virus free, and can be used incase of system failure)

This involves creating more partitions. I am no expert in partitioning, and I freak out when it says Bootloader not found, which I had last night when I did a driver update (its another story).

This morning I've cleared out about 150gb, ready to make Ubuntu and Windows 8.1.
This is my planned setup:
-E Drive (Ubuntu), 25gb
-F Drive (Win8.1), 40gb

Only problem is, I already have 4 primary partitions, and the boot partition is the Windows 7 one, in the forum thread http://www.eightforums.com/installa...t-primary-partition-install-windows-8-cp.html The primary partition was the system one. This is a very similar case to mine, our laptop model's are even the same, except my diskmgmt.msc looks like this:

Where my active partition which loads first is Windows 7.

I don't have any hardware such as GParted, or a backup computer to seek help incase I get an invalid boot again, so I really hope this works out.

Any more information, just ask.

 

[theog]

Have you make the HP OEM manufacturer's Recovery Disks for Windows 7?

 

[lifetec]

More info in this tutorial http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/2344-dual-boot-installation-windows-8-windows-7-vista.html

 

[Plo124]

Thank you @lifetec
Can you please assist how I will manage the 4 primary partitions I have currently.

 

[theog]

Have you make the HP OEM manufacturer's Recovery Disks for Windows 7?

A waiting reply.

 

[Plo124]

Have you make the HP OEM manufacturer's Recovery Disks for Windows 7?

A waiting reply.

Whats HP OEM, and no, I don't have any CompactDisks to make any backups.

 

[theog]

Have you make the HP OEM manufacturer's Recovery Disks for Windows 7?

A waiting reply.

Whats HP OEM, and no, I don't have any CompactDisks to make any backups.

HP made your PC.

   Information

We always assume you have made your Recovery Disks using the OEM manufacturer's Recovery Media Creator app the first day you had your new PC.
& made the Startup Repair CD.
startup repair disc-create
​

When you have made your HP OEM manufacturer's Recovery Disks for Windows 7, you can delete Partitions D: & HP_Tools.

than install Windows 8.
http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/2344-dual-boot-installation-windows-8-windows-7-vista.html

 

[Plo124]

A waiting reply.

Whats HP OEM, and no, I don't have any CompactDisks to make any backups.

HP made your PC.

   Information

We always assume you have made your Recovery Disks using the OEM manufacturer's Recovery Media Creator app the first day you had your new PC.
& made the Startup Repair CD.
startup repair disc-create
​

When you have made your HP OEM manufacturer's Recovery Disks for Windows 7, you can delete Partitions D: & HP_Tools.

than install Windows 8.
http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/2344-dual-boot-installation-windows-8-windows-7-vista.html

Can I use a USB stick?

 

[theog]

Can I use a USB stick?

YES, to install Windows 8.

x32
USB Windows 7 Installation Key Drive - Create - Windows 7 Help Forums

x64
http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/15458-uefi-bootable-usb-flash-drive-create-windows.html

 

[Plo124]

I meant to make the OEM disk.

 

[theog]

I meant to make the OEM disk.

Check your HP OEM manufacturer's Recovery Media Creator app, some Models YES, some NO.

 

[Plo124]

Oh no, It needs 15GB, and I don't have a 15GB flash drive.

 

[Plo124]

Ok, I found a 32GB one, and its copying at this moment.

Which would I install first, Wubi, or Win8.1, because they both edit the bootloader, and I don't want the Windows 8 graphical bootloader when it has to start up first, but I don't want wubi to think only Windows8 is there, because Windows 7 has my 2 years work of Java programming on it, and my personal files.

 

[theog]

Always back up, back up, back up.

• Make sure you’re on the PC you want to upgrade. This must be a PC that is currently running Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP with Service Pack 3 (SP3), Windows 8 Release Preview, Windows 8 Consumer Preview, or Windows Developer Preview. (Windows 8 Setup checks that your PC meets all system requirements before it installs Windows 8.)

• Have your product key handy. You can find it in your online order information, in the confirmation email for your purchase, or on the packaging. The product key will look something like this:
XXXXX- XXXXX- XXXXX- XXXXX- XXXXX

• Make a backup of everything you want to keep. Save it somewhere you can get to it later, like an external drive or a DVD.

Backup User and System Files - Windows 7 Help Forums

than install Windows 8.
http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/2344-dual-boot-installation-windows-8-windows-7-vista.html

 

[Plo124]

I just don't want to delete the OS, I can still recover the data, unless its over-written, just unplug the harddrive, and shove it in a harddrive adapter on a live PC.

Would I install Ubuntu first or last? Because they both edit the boot loader.

****Edit****
Would I defragment my PC before shrinking the volume, because there might be data on the shrunk part.

 

[Plo124]

ok, I'm using a program called 'Smart Defrag' to try and move the files away from the part I want to snip off, but I ran into some problems:

Black tiles means unmoveable
Which bootable options would you suggest?

 

[theog]

I would use
Disk Defragmenter - Open and Use - Windows 7 Help Forums
&
Disk Cleanup - Open and Use - Windows 7 Help Forums

 

[Plo124]

Windows Defrag does nothing, it doesn't open.

I got Windows 8 working, and now I want to expand (I just wiped the 16gb partition, so I don't have much space left),
After trying to install a program on Windows 8, it copied lots of files to C:/ which Windows 7 is on, and I can't delete them, and its on the end of the C:/ which I want to push off, leaving my disk like this:

Note the black unmovable data at the bottom.

I tried deleting in Windows 8, and it says I don't have permission, should I use Ubuntu and forcefully remove them, or might they be system files.

I don't know what the last 2 random folder names are, but they are unmovable :huh:

And Im not sure what all of the random folders are there in the first place, only the last 2 have items in them, and I had these prior to installing Windows 7. The other ones are empty, except for the last 2, which has lots of folders with numbers, e.g. 1025, and these are all locked out from me.
Theres also some other files, one being setup.exe, and the folders are almost identical.

 

[theog]

The OS partition is always C:



Did you run Disk clean up?

 

[Plo124]

Im fine with how it is, but I've just chopped off 30GB of space to make an extended partition for Windows 8 documents, is there any way I can make the app's install in the new partition opposed to the Windows 8 one?

**** Edit ****
The only changes in the partitions after installing Windows8.1, is in Win8.1, it says the HP_TOOLS is 'E' drive.